1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, device and computer-readable recording medium for monitoring the power consumption of one or more electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
The introduction of large-scale computer system generally requires power equipment sufficient to supply stable electric power to each electric device of the computer system. Each electric device may be supplied with power from a power distribution network arranged in a building installed with a computer system, for example. Each electric device may be connected to the power distribution network via a plug at the forward end of the power cable of each electric device. The plug may be inserted into the receptacle (plug socket) of a power tap connected to the power distribution network.
The power tap may include a plurality of receptacles for establishing a connection with the electric devices. Power taps generally have a rated power. The rated power is generally defined as the maximum value of the power that may be continuously supplied. The total power consumption of the electric devices connected to each power tap is generally required not to exceed the rated power. The number of the electric devices, such as a server, for example, that can be connected to each power tap is generally determined based on the total rated power consumption of the electric devices.
However, an electric device, such as a server, for example, does not always consume the rated power. In the case where the power equipment is prepared on the assumption that all the electric devices operate simultaneously with the rated power, therefore, an excessive power equipment is required. Thus, a technique is desired whereby the power consumed simultaneously by the one or more electric devices connected to a power tap is controlled not to exceed the rated power of the corresponding power tap. Specifically, each electric device rarely consumes the rated power all the time during operation, and therefore, the number of electric devices that can be connected may be increased by controlling the maximum power consumption of the electric devices.
Accordingly, a first related technique has been conceived wherein a sensor node predicts the maximum power demand and outputs the power alarm information based on the prediction. In the first related technique, power consumption is controlled by a control node that has received the power alarm information. By implementing the first related technique, electric devices, of which the total value of the rated power consumption of the electric devices exceed the maximum rated power of the power tap, can be connected to the power tap.
A second related technique has also been conceived to predict the consumed current value based on information indicating the operation or non-operation of an electric load mounted on a vehicle and a consumed current value data table indicating the value of the current consumed by each electric load. Accordingly, the second related technique makes it possible to predict the consumed current value simply by detecting the operation or non-operation of each electric device.
The application of the aforementioned first and second related techniques to monitor the power consumption for each power tap of a large-scale computer system, however, is not efficient and/or realistic. For example, according to the first related technique, every power tap is required to be equipped with a wattmeter, which increases cost. Further, the power consumption of each computer of a computer system dynamically changes according to the data processing situation of the computer.
According to the second related technique, which does not require a wattmeter, a value of an entire amount of consumed current is predicted assuming that the consumed current value of the electric load is constant. However, as noted above, power consumption of electric devices of a computer system dynamically changes during operation, and the second related technique does not consider or address the dynamic changes in power consumption.